Chapter 1 : Downfall

The Prestigious Magic Family

The Kalbrandt family was known as a prestigious lineage of magic.

Even the famed Magic Tower, said to have no equal in magical knowledge, acknowledged the authority of this family.

Though their noble status was not particularly high, their expertise in magic was widely recognized among those in the field.

Luen Phil Kalbrandt, the only son of the Kalbrandt family, was born into the highest expectations.

He was the child of Hamel Phil Kalbrandt, the current head of the family, who possessed an exceptional sensitivity to mana even among his outstanding lineage, and Luana Helint, renowned for her groundbreaking thesis that redefined the understanding of the mana circle, altering the course of magical history.

With a father who had the potential to reach the realm of the Grand Mage—the ninth circle of magic—and a mother with exceptional creativity and theoretical prowess, Luen was destined to be extraordinary from birth.

From an early age, he exhibited intelligence far beyond his peers—walking earlier, speaking fluently at a young age, and displaying a level of maturity and wisdom rare for a child.

Naturally, the expectations placed upon him were immense.

Thus, from childhood, Luen received theoretical lessons on magic from his mother and consumed the rare elixirs possessed by the family to enhance his abilities.

Luana’s frail health prevented her from having any more children after Luen, which only amplified the family’s hopes for him.

Hamel, deeply in love with Luana and devoted to their son, never sought to take a concubine.

Luen grew up with everything—his parents’ love, the expectations of the people, and the full support of his family.

So, it was only natural that on his tenth birthday, when he became eligible for engagement, numerous proposals flooded the Kalbrandt household.

From prestigious and high-ranking noble families to other renowned magical lineages—even the granddaughter of the Magic Tower’s master—many sought to form a bond with him.

Yet, the Kalbrandt family’s choice was a girl from another magic family—one with a close relationship with Luen since childhood.

Although her family was undeniably distinguished in the field of magic, they were still a step below the Kalbrandt family, sparking debates among gossipers.

Nevertheless, the Kalbrandt family stood by their decision, and the bond between the two remained strong.

Until the Kalbrandt family was driven to the brink of destruction.

200 Years—Gone in an Instant

For two centuries, the Kalbrandt family had built its legacy as a house of magical excellence.

And in a single moment, it all crumbled.

“…Wait a moment. Something feels off. Could you hold on for a bit?”

I stood there, blankly staring at the glow of the crystal orb beneath my hand.

The measurement of one’s mana sensitivity was conducted at the age of fifteen.

Before then, any test results would be inaccurate, and it was widely accepted that measuring after one had matured to a certain extent would yield the most precise readings.

And That Truth Had Never Changed

Mana sensitivity was always measured in the same way—placing a hand on the crystal orb and activating the device.

If the orb did not light up, the individual had zero sensitivity to mana.

The colors ranged in order: red, blue, green, purple, and at the highest level, a radiant gold.

My father, Hamel Phil Kalbrandt, was said to have had a deep, gleaming golden mana sensitivity.

So, naturally, I believed that I, too, would see at least a purple glow.

No—if I were being honest…

Of course, it would be purple or higher.

That was the arrogance I hadn’t even realized I carried.

A long silence followed.

[Go and do well, my son.]

The warm smile of my father as he sent me off.

[Come back soon. I’ll have something delicious prepared for you.]

The clear, worry-free gaze of my mother.

[See you later…!]

The shy smile of the girl who had bid me farewell.

All of it disappeared behind the glow of the crystal orb in front of me.

While I stood there blankly, staring at the orb, the staff conducting the test fumbled in a panic, double-checking its condition—

As if something impossible had just happened.

Well… of course.

I lowered my head and let out a self-mocking smile.

At a glance, the crystal orb was in perfect condition.

There was no chance of an error.

The Magic Tower itself must have been keenly interested in the results of Luen Phil Kalbrandt’s mana sensitivity test.

So then… So then…

“Ha…”

The softly glowing pale red light before me—

That was the truth.

“…Shit.”

Even as a child—

The elixirs I had consumed must have cost thousands of gold, at the very least.

Even though mana sensitivity was considered an innate talent, and elixirs had limited effectiveness in enhancing it…

Still.

Even an ordinary person with a purple grade of mana sensitivity would have seen a faint golden hue after consuming those elixirs.

The sheer quantity and quality of the elixirs I had consumed—something beyond the imagination of any commoner—

And yet.

The glowing crystal orb displayed nothing but a pale red light.

This felt…

Like someone had forced mana sensitivity into a non-sensitive body through artificial means.

My mind—my pride, built up all these years—the expectations placed upon me—

And the loving gazes of my parents.

Everything… crumbled.

“P-please wait a moment. There must be an error in the test result—!”

The staff member’s voice trembled with disbelief.

I swallowed dryly, staring at the orb, then quietly lowered my hand from it.

No matter how long I kept my hand there, nothing would change.

With my head hung low, I stood frozen in place.

I could hear the staff’s panicked voice, but I didn’t respond.

No—more accurately, I couldn’t respond.

No one knew better than me.

The crystal orb had functioned perfectly.

It had detected my mana sensitivity flawlessly.

So the result before my eyes was—

Undeniably real.

The Truth of My Mana Sensitivity

The reality that my mana sensitivity was only at that level.

I couldn’t believe it—I could only let out a hollow laugh.

“We’ll prepare another crystal orb for testing, so please wait just a moment—!!”

Thud!

The staff member’s panicked voice was abruptly cut off as the door burst open.

And the moment I saw the family’s butler step inside—

I couldn’t help but think of that old saying:

“Misfortune brings more misfortune.” (雪上加霜—Adding frost on top of snow.)

“Young master!! Right now—
……
The Lord and Lady—!!”

That day, my world collapsed.

Completely.

It was an accident.

The carriage carrying my parents, who had departed slightly later than me to come meet me, had its wheel broken.

That was an accident.

And the fact that the wheel broke precisely on a steep mountain path was also an accident.

The coachman died instantly.

As for my mother and father…

“They encountered a monster by chance and…”

That, too, was an accident.

“Do you really expect me to believe that?”

An accident?

There’s a limit to how ridiculous a joke can be.

The family head’s carriage, which was always meticulously maintained and inspected for any wear or damage, just so happened to break down?

And the wheel just so happened to break at the edge of a steep mountain path?

And at the bottom of that cliff, where my parents fell, there just so happened to be a monster waiting?

And before they could even react, they were already dead?

Can all of this truly be called an accident?

No.

There was no way in hell this was just an accident.

This was planned.

“But, young master…”

“I will find them.”

That was my vow.

I would avenge my parents.

I would swear upon the name of Kalbrandt that I would track down those responsible and make them pay.

But.

I never got the chance.

[“The next heir of the Kalbrandt family has a pale red mana sensitivity? Looks like Kalbrandt is finished.”]

My mana sensitivity was at its lowest level.

The Kalbrandt family had only survived as a prestigious house of magic because of its purely magical abilities.

But now, with my parents gone, I was supposed to be the next head of the family.

And yet.

I couldn’t even prove my magical talent.

A lowly red mana sensitivity.

Inferior magical knowledge compared to my mother.

There was no way I could carry on the Kalbrandt legacy.

At the same time, I…

“Let’s break off our engagement.”

I was abandoned—by the woman I trusted and loved.

The moment she learned of my low mana sensitivity and that my family had crumbled, she immediately demanded we call off the engagement.

At first, I refused. I tried to convince her.

But then—

[“You are as beautiful as ever.”]

[“Thank you, my lord.”]

I saw her smiling as she conversed with another noble heir.

At that moment—

I broke completely.

And after our engagement was annulled—

I crumbled.

And so did the Kalbrandt family.

That was the moment when everything ended for me.

To be continued…